The Strength of the Soul

Surfing around late in New York, I found this........a testament to the soul, that touched my heart.

Imagine a bucolic setting with a wooden schoolhouse, flooded with natural light, creating photographs with large format 19th c. view cameras while quieting the noise of the modern world to embrace the stillness of the past. That is what John Dugdale has created at the 12 acres surrounding his 1850's farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York.  After a career in commercial photography shooting for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Bergdorf Goodman and Martha Stewart, he lost most of his eyesight after a stroke. Although his sight was hindered, the passion of his soul persisted. His work is in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum and the Miami Art Museum. He is now sharing his inner vision and persistent passion for beauty through classes at the newly constructed "old school" on his property.  The grounds are located in Stone Ridge, New York about 45 minutes from my cabin, so if I can't get into one of the classes this summer, I am definitely going to see about a tour. Check out his website, thejohndugdaleschool.com; a fascinating man with a heroic soul that sees what his eyes can not. Above images are a self-portrait of Dugdale, a picture of the schoolhouse,  and a quote from Walt Whitman that he uses on his website.

Asian Inspiration

While looking at NeimanMarcus.com, I came across a few shots  that I had styled for them a while back. When shooting things like this for their website, we can often shoot up to 15 images a day. Given the quantity produced per day, I guess I was a bit surprised by the quality of these images and how much I liked them. I am hoping I can get the images for my portfolio on my website  phillipmontanez.com. I'm still working on the website as far as getting some more shots uploaded, but hope to have it finished soon. Matt Savins shot these images.......his work is stellar!

From Spring to Summer

As Spring turns to a warmer shade of hot, I thought I'd share a bit of what's been keeping me busy. Work, work..................and more work!

Here are a few random shots I styled for the websites of Neiman Marcus, Horchow and Wisteria. And, check out the link directly below to a cool Coastal Look Book I styled for Wisteria.
A New Look Book from Wisteria

New Years Day Menu

 Salmon/Crab Dip

 Vegan Black-Eyed Peas

 Braised Collard Greens

Fresh Corn/Garlic Corn Bread                                                                

Pork Tenderloin

Means of
Transportation
To Homeless

The Four Ones 1/1/11

The first day of 2011 has come and gone, but it has left me with the hope of a stellar new year! I made a point to cook all my New Year's Day favorites-collard greens, black-eyed peas, pork tenderloin- a little bit differently this year than I usually do and everything turned out delicious. I had so much food I decided to pack some up, take a drive, and find some hungry homeless people to feed. Surprisingly, it was a hunt at first, but I found some grateful recipients that seemed shocked and elated to get a drive-by dinner.   It was a cold day by Dallas standards, so I took pride in filling and warming their bellies and in turn they warmed my heart. My friend Tracy, a fellow stylist, who IS NOT homeless-she has an impeccably appointed home, also got one of my delicious deliveries before we went to see the movie, The Fighter.  It's one of the best movies I've seen this holiday season, up there with The King's Speech; both vehicles for great performances.  I could easily see Christian Bale getting the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but, I'm really hoping Melissa Leo wins Best Supporting Actress for her role as the two boxers' mother. What an amazing performance! It's my first time to take note of her, so I will be doing some catch up viewing of her other movies. She was so real and raw in her portrayal of the matriarch of supreme dysfunction, that I clung to her every word and nuance. All the characters gave some inspiring performances that offered a great end to an inspiring day.  Happy New Year!!!


P.S.-Above this post are some pictures of my New Years Day dishes. Let me know if you want any of the recipes......the pork tenderloin was my best ever!